In the art of fences numerous materials and methods have been employed to construct and design fences for various purposes such as containment of livestock, pets, people and the like or for the exclusion of the same. In other instances, fences may be employed to add a decorative or aesthetic flourish to structures and landscapes.
More recently, vinyl, plastics and similar such materials have been found to be advantageous for fencing applications. They provide a convenient material due to their ease of fabrication, light weight, relative cost, and their ability to maintain an attractive appearance, particularly for exterior fencing, where weather may deteriorate the finish of wood or paints applied thereto.
A continuing problem with vinyl fence materials is finding a suitable means for mounting the support posts, particularly where there is a need to mount the post to an underlying concrete or masonry surface, such as a walkway, driveway, or patio. Similar difficulties are encountered when the post is mounted to a patio deck or similar structures.
Presently in the art, vinyl clad support posts are mounted to concrete and wooden substructures by an unsightly and bulky base mounting bracket. These mounting brackets typically have a sleeve portion that receives and surrounds the outer periphery of the lower end of the support post. These mounting brackets will typically have a base plate that extends outwardly beyond the periphery of the sleeve portion or they may include one or more flanges extending outwardly from the base of the sleeve portion. The base plates and flanges have a plurality of holes through which fasteners, such as a bolts, pins or screws, are received to secure the support bracket to the underlying structure.
In addition to their unsightly appearance, the typical mounting bracket presents an obvious disadvantage in that a hole must be drilled to receive each of the fasteners. Other more serious disadvantages are presented by the typical mounting bracket, because the base plate or flanges are oversized with respect to the post requiring the post to be mounted offset from the edge of the underlying substructure.
This deficiency is particularly troubling when it is desirable to mount a post near the periphery of a concrete slab or support pylon. If the holes required to receive the fasteners are drilled too closely to the edge of the concrete, the concrete is susceptible to fracture or spalling, either during installation of the fasteners or in subsequent use when lateral forces may be applied to the post or the containment system utilizing the posts for support. In this event, the costs of repairing the concrete can be substantial and the hazards presented by the post's failure can be catastrophic.
Similar problems exist with respect to the support post itself. The structure of many vinyl clad support posts also presents an issue regarding the points to which other fence members may be attached to the post. They may be limited both as to the vertical and lateral displacement at which fasteners may be securely attached due to the absence of an underlying metal support, as would be encountered with channeled or I-beam support members. Although tubular metal support members may be employed, a savings in material costs may not be realized.